SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Wildlife Board has set a quota of 86,500 buck mule deer permits for the upcoming season, down 500 from last year.
Division of Wildlife Resources officials say the action was taken earlier this month in an effort to increase the buck-to-doe ratio in some of Utah’s 30 units. They say the best way to boost the number of bucks is to reduce the number of hunting tags for them. Fourteen of the 30 units will be managed with an objective of carrying 15 to 17 bucks per 100 does. The other 16 units would have a slightly higher ratio of 18 to 20 bucks per 100 does. Utah’s mule deer herds have declined due to a number of factors, including habitat loss, hard winters, drought, predators and vehicles.
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